Slipping Gears

Slipping Gears: You put the selector into the appropriate range and begin to move forward. Suddenly, you feel the engine racing and the transmission lagging behind. We see the symptom of slipping gears quite o

ften but what is difficult to determine is what is causing the transmission to slip. Transmissions slip for a variety of reasons including low fluid level, poor vacuum or a misadjusted or defective shift cable. When you are faced with this type of symptom, it’s best to have slipping gears checked out by the transmission professionals at Delta Auto Care in Las Vegas.

What causes a transmission to slip gears

A common issue faced in an automatic transmission is the slipping of gears. There are many reasons which can indicate the transmission is slipping gears. Though it is a common issue it should never be ignored as with time it would result in developing major issues. Once converted into major issues would cost you heavily. Detecting slipping gears is not a very easy task as it may be seen in a variety of forms while driving. A few simple signs to diagnose it are as follows-

High RPM above 3500

Inability to reverse

Delays in acceleration

Usual or burnt smells

Difficulty in shifting gears

The check engine light going off

Changing gears can be noisy as well as not entirely smooth

If you detect any of the above problems, it is possible that your transmission is slipping. Some causes of slipping gears are as follows-

Low fluid levels– This is the most common and easily fixed reason of slipping of gears. If the transmission does not have enough fluid, it can create many problems like overheating and lack of enough hydraulic pressure to engage the gears. If it is so the fluid level can be checked using a dipstick while the engine is idling and refilled with fluid immediately.

Low fluid pressure– It is very important to shift and engage the internal pressure normally. It may reduce gradually if the pump is worn out or the pickup tube of the fluid filter is plugged.

Transmission fluid leak– Low fluid levels can be caused because of leakages. These leaks can happen in a worn pan gasket, raptured fluid lines, hole in the park, faulty seals, or crack in the torque converter. These leaks can be easily diagnosed if you see some oil under the car dripping or on the driveway. The leak should be fixed instantly to avoid any severe internal damage.

Burnt and ineffective fluid– Because of overheating you get a distinct burnt smell or black col. This should be immediately shown to a specialist to avoid further damage or replaced.

Faulty pressure regulation– The pressure solenoid valves or the pressure regulator controls the pressure inside an automatic transmission. If there is any damage or electronic fault in the valves, controls or regulator can cause the wrong amount of dispersed fluids. A plug-in scanner in the car can quickly detect the problem.

Worn or broken transmission bands– Any wear and tear of breakage in the band link of automatic transmission because of slipping gears as well as other engine problems. These damaged bands should immediately be replaced to avoid any serious mishap.

Worn out gears– With time and use gears wear out and cause some or the other sort of malfunction. During the process of transmission, it also prevents them from linking together properly. In this case, the gears need to be replaced.

Clutch problems– in automatic transmission the clutch can become worn and burnt because of insufficient ATF. Worn out clutches can cause slipping of gears. They have to be replaced every 20000 to 200,000 miles.

Various causes of slipping of gears can be solved by oneself through experience, but for complex cases that involve a change of bands, clutches or solenoids it is important that it be fixed up by a trained and expert technicians at a transmission shop. Make an appointment with us today https://deltaautocare.com